One of the things that has really been motivating me in our debt free journey is thinking of what we'll be able to do once we aren't giving our money to lenders every month. I listen to people doing their debt free screams talk about how they now can do things they never imagined and I can't wait to be at that point. I can't imagine not having to scramble to find a job next time we move, but we're sure working hard to make that our reality!
Volunteering
There have been several volunteer positions that I applied for and "interviewed" for but they always conflicted with my work schedule. Work at a job I really didn't like that did add any value to my life other than monetary. I wanted to volunteer at the SPCA up here in New York but I work way too much and I can't just leave Bolt for 15 hours a day while Josh is gone. The one that killed me the most was having to turn down an opportunity to volunteer at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. I ended up starting my old job back in MD right around when I was supposed to do orientation to volunteer. I just couldn't work out my schedule. It killed me to not be able to do something I really wanted to do, in order to make money to pay lenders.
Traveling
This has to be the most obvious one on the list. The first thing we're going to do when we get out of debt (besides get our emergency fund together) is save for an epic trip! I want to be able to travel and not be stressing about money the whole time I'm planning the trip. I want the entire trip to be paid for before we go. I want to really enjoy each experience and not have to say no to things we really want to do just because we don't have the money. Top on my list are a trip to the UK and Ireland or an Alaskan Cruise - where we end up moving next will determine where we travel to.
Donating
There are so many organizations I want to donate to! Beagle Freedom Project is a big one. To be honest, pretty much any organization that helps animals is something I want to donate to, haha! Once we have no payments, we'll be able to allocate a percentage of our monthly budget towards donating to a worthy cause.
Taking Time to Find a Job
When we moved to Fort Drum I NEEDED to find a job, so I took the first one that was offered to me. Don't get me wrong, most days I enjoy working at Fridays and I love my coworkers, but it's definitely not where I wanted to be working at 28 years old. When we move, I want to be able to take the time to find a job that I enjoy and hopefully one that utilizes my degree. As The Minimalists say, I want to find a job that adds value to my life, not a job I hate that pays good money so that I can pay lenders.
School
I really want to go back to school, like, yesterday. After taking a few Law classes while getting my Criminal Justice degree I decided I really wanted to go into that field. I don't want the cost or the time it takes to go to law school, so I'm going to go for a Paralegal degree. Josh and I decided to get out of debt before I pursue a degree. The MyCAA program will cover a good bit but we will have to cash flow some of it. I think this is the one thing I'm most excited about, besides travel, of course.
Building Retirement
Along with Dave Ramsey's podcast, I have been listening to Chris Hogans Retire Inspired podcast. I really can't wait to start investing in our future. Now that I really understand the areas of investing that I want to get into, I am excited rather than nervous! It makes me so happy to hear about people who make the same amount of money as us who have worked hard through the years and are now really enjoying their retirement!
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